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All information requested in the CDP Climate Change Questionnaire can be reused in a GRI G4-based report, on the condition that the climate change related Aspects[1] (Energy, Emissions, Products and Services, Public Policy) have been identified as material. Material means that the topic is relevant for the company while has impacts on the stakeholder that the company tries to manage.

Under GRI Guidelines, there are two types of information that can be reported: General Disclosures, giving information about the overall economic, social and environmental background, and Specific Disclosures, under which organizations report on the topics/aspects considered material.

In this sense, G4 General Disclosures have a broader meaning than the CDP corresponding questions, and can then be reused in the CDP questionnaire and adapted to the context of climate change, while the other way around is trickier, as CDP questions are only linked to climate change.

In the linkage document, GRI and CDP explain the importance of aligning on international recognized standards and to merge them whenever possible. We at DFGE also support this approach through our Sustainability Intelligence Model. Indeed, documents can be reused to answer different requests, which can be time-saving for companies. It is important to answer through recognized standards as they are usually multi-stakeholder and independent, assuring a representation of all parties in an objective and unbiased way. Moreover, standards are a tool to compare the performances of various companies and to identify best practices.

How to answer CDP or GRI

CDP and GRI are sustainability reporting frameworks, meaning that companies need to implement some actions before being able to report anything. DFGE can help you define and implement your actions. Also, DFGE can support you through the CDP process via assessing your carbon footprint, answering the questionnaire or performing a response check. In addition, DFGE can define the report contents according to GRI. Please feel free to contact us for more information at info@dfge.de

DFGE – Institute for Energy, Ecology and Economy is happy to share its second CSR/sustainability report, which takes the shape of a Communication On Progress (COP).

What is a Communication On Progress (COP)?

In 2015, DFGE produced its first Communication On Progress, a document showing the targets, the actions implemented to reach the targets and the measurement of outcomes for four sustainability issues: Human rights, Labor Practices, Environment and Anti-corruption.

These issues are listed under the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles.

Companies who commit to the United Nations Global Compact need to issue this Communication on Progress on a yearly basis. This document can be considered as the CSR or Sustainability report of the company.

What can be the main highlights?

For each topic, companies can explain which risks they have identified and on which basis, set related targets and formalize commitments in this sense. For instance, DFGE committed to promote UNGC and CSR even more, hoping to have at least one additional partner taking part in this international initiative.

Then, organizations can describe their actions and specify their scope of application, their purpose, etc. For instance, DFGE of course assessed its own carbon footprint to identify sources of emissions that lead to take new commitments and set new targets.

Finally, a measurement of outcomes enables stakeholders to understand the progress of the organization in each domain. For example, DFGE committed in 2015 to formalize hiring processes and to implement appraisal interviews, and in 2016 it was reported that these targets were met.

What are the benefits of such submission?

As a sustainability solution provider, DFGE wants to uphold and support CSR/sustainability international standards. For any company, it is an internationally recognized tool that can help disclose information to stakeholders in an easy way. Indeed, the Communication On Progress offers flexibility as the principles can be adapted to any company according to its size, sector, location, corporate culture. It is also a tool that helps improving sustainability management thanks to the goal-setting and reviewing.

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is an internationally recognized standard for CSR reporting to help organizations set goals, measure performance, and manage change in order to make their operations more sustainable. The guidelines are now in their 4th version (G4).

G4 process in a few words:
– Identify your company’s “Material Aspects”, e.g. the environmental, social and other CSR impacts that your organization is facing and how they relate to the broader sustainability context. In this sense, you will be focused only on what truly matters and how it impacts your stakeholders. When defining such issues, it is fundamental to consult them to match your organization’s priorities with theirs. This step is also called “Defining Report Content”.
– Prepare the data to be submitted in the report: the “General Standard Disclosures” (including “Material Aspects” and “Stakeholder Engagement”) and “Specific Standard Disclosures”, whose contents will depend on the “Identified Material Aspects”. Here you can choose the extent to which your company wishes to report, with “Core” and “Comprehensive” option. During this step, “Principles for Quality” are to be complied to make sure that the report is comparable, accurate, understandable,…
– Write and shape the report. You can choose any structure, for instance according to your strategy’s pillars. You just need to include the GRI index showing the indicators can be found. If the report is not complete, a given statement will be added.
– Publish your report and notify GRI.